The lower North Island's bearing the brunt of howling winds bearing down on the country
The lower North Island's bearing the brunt of howling winds bearing down on the country
19 January 2021
MetService is predicting severe northwesterly gusts up to 130 kilometres an hour in exposed parts of Wellington.
The winds have left a trail of power cuts, fires and toppled trees in the south.
And gusts have fanned a 15-hectare scrub fire crews are battling at Cass Bay, near Lyttelton, which briefly led to the evacuation of 20 neighbouring homes.
They also forced power cuts in 14 hundred Canterbury homes during the day, with most now restored.
Farmers didn't escape the carnage - with trees toppled.
The storm's left a un-seasonal coating of snow on Central Otago skifields.
New Zealand's south-west coast is being hit by giant swells and waves possibly reaching up to 10 metres.
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